Frequently Asked Questons
Despite the thoroughness of our website folks inevitably come up with additional questions. So we created a page to address them here.
Do I need any prior experience or education to take your courses?
No prior experience in permaculture is needed. If you have the desire to learn, you are a great fit. We’ve had high schoolers and PhD holders in the same courses many times, and because of the universality but uniqueness of the material, everyone seems to get great value out of it.
What is a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) and is it internationally recognized?
Permaculture is an ecological design system developed by David Holmgren and Bill Mollison in the 1970s. The PDC gives students a solid foundation in how ecosystems, patterns, and design methods work together to create systems that cooperate with nature rather than fight against it. While the PDC is more of a time-honored tradition than a formal credential, it is recognized worldwide by permaculturists as the essential entry point into permaculture design.
What does the course cost, and do you offer payment plans or scholarships?
The Online PDC is $695 with the certificate, or $495 without. You can also start with our Foundations of Permaculture course for $195, add the PDC for $300, and add the certificate later for $200, there’s no penalty for going sequentially versus all at once. In-person courses start at $1,795 and typically include a camping site and meals for the week, with additional cost for private rooms. Our short-form PDMC course is available from $245–$395. A donation-funded scholarship program is also sometimes available.
How long does the online PDC course take to complete?
The course includes 61 hours of video material plus approximately 11 hours of exercises and design work. It was originally recorded over the course of a month, and our live review sessions are spread across 9 weeks. That said, we allow up to 3 years to earn the certificate, so the pace is genuinely flexible. How long it takes really comes down to your schedule and how deeply you want to work with the material.
What's the difference between the online and in-person PDC courses?
The content is identical, the difference is format and pace. The online course includes 11 pre-course webinars and 18 main sessions, which you can work through at your own pace or follow along with our 9-week review and support schedule. The in-person course covers the same material in an intensive 8 days.
What will I actually be able to do after completing the course?
You’ll come away with a much clearer picture of all the forces at play in any design project and a better ability to work with them, not around them. Rather than simply mapping your wants onto a space, you’ll learn to integrate your goals with what’s actually on the ground. Through hands-on design practice built into the course, you’ll grow confident in shaping environments and systems that work with nature, and work better because of it.
Do I need to own land or have a property to benefit from this course?
Not at all. While much of the material touches on working with land, ownership is never a prerequisite. There are many ways to access land, and the course is just as valuable for those who plan to own land in the future. Beyond that, a significant portion of the curriculum is about deepening our relationship with the natural world and with each other, and that has nothing to do with property ownership.
I'm a teacher / homesteader / urban dweller / retiree - is this course right for me?
Almost certainly yes. A teacher designing a curriculum, a homesteader planning a property, an urban dweller looking to grow more in less space, a retiree ready to invest time in something meaningful – permaculture design thinking applies across all of it. If you’re someone who wants to engage more intentionally with your environment and community, this course was built for you.
Can I take the online course from outside the United States?
Absolutely. The principles and methods taught in the course apply anywhere in the world. Some of the local informational resources we reference in design examples are US-based, but high-quality information is available globally, and students worldwide have gone on to create effective, place-specific designs.
Who are your instructors and what are their credentials?
Bill Wilson, co-founder of Midwest Permaculture, has spent over four decades living in the intentional community of Stelle, IL, and brings 20 years of teaching experience to the course. He’s known for making complex ideas genuinely accessible, practical, and inspiring for students of every background and has applied permaculture to everything from small residential projects to large-scale acreage design.
Milton Dixon has a background in Suzuki Guitar, teaching classical guitar to children as young as 4, and has been a core part of Midwest Permaculture since its early years, bringing a creative, grounded approach to both design and teaching. As an urban permaculturist and skilled forager, Milton has explored the full range of ways permaculture takes root in city life from foraging in public spaces to gardening, mushroom cultivation, and food preservation. Now in Ann Arbor, there he is a founding member and co-manages the Cooperative at Dawn Farm, where he rotationally grazes sheep in a food forest.
How is Midwest Permaculture different from other PDC providers?
We believe the real bottleneck in building a more permanent culture isn’t knowledge or skill, it’s connection. Our courses place a strong emphasis on social and emotional maturity, and on the relationships we build with each other alongside the land. That’s what makes lasting change possible.
What is your refund or cancellation policy?
It varies, for specific details see the course page. Generally:
For online courses, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee minus the $50 for the book if included. For in-person courses: cancellations more than 60 days before the start date receive a full refund less $25; 30-60 days out, less $100; within 30 days, less $150. No refunds are issued once training has begun. In certain circumstances, the non-refunded portion may be applied as partial or full credit toward a future course or training.
Do I have to have a PayPal account to pay for a course?
No. While you can pay with a PayPal account, we also just use PayPal as a payment processor. If you follow the circled images below you can pay with a credit card without a PayPal account.
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